


Siren Song

by hntrgurl13, Purpledragon6



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Coauthor helped with 1st two paragraphs, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-03 17:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12752964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hntrgurl13/pseuds/hntrgurl13, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purpledragon6/pseuds/Purpledragon6
Summary: A strange creature has been abducting Gravity Falls’ women and it’s up to Dr. Stanford Pines and his assistants Fiddleford McGucket and Adeline Marks to put an end to it. But there may be things in the air other than the usual scent of pine trees.





	1. Breaking News

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off the comic I was GOING to do over on the tumble jungle. Couldn’t find the time to do that fully but I’ll make the whole story on here.

'GRAVITY FALLS GOSSIPER!: RUNAWAY BRIDE?:

A fourth woman has gone missing in the last month, here in Gravity Falls. Ms. Clara Nonamee vanished suddenly from her and her fiancé’s home late last Tuesday night. Authorities were called to the scene when Mr. Todd Blahman discovered that his bride to be had yet to return home from her evening run. Blahman stated that Nonamee normally returned from her run at 8 pm sharp. But when the woman still hadn’t arrived by midnight, Blahman suspected foul play.

“I just want Clara to come home safe and sound. I had warned her not to go on her jogs around the lake at night. Who knows what kind of weirdos are out and about? I hope she’s okay. Honey, if you’re having second thoughts about the wedding, that’s fine. Just please come home so I know you’re okay,” Blahman made this statement pleading for the safe return of his fiancé. 

Gravity Falls’s finest are on the case, hoping to find this awol future missus before their big day. Hopefully this story will have a happily ever after. Journalists of the Gossiper will be sure to keep you all up to date on any new developments.' 

Stanford Pines frowned, hands cringling his morning paper. He had read this artical twice already, but only now did he bother to set it to the side. His assistant, Adeline Marks, wore a look of concern as she set his breakfast in front of him. The researcher simply waved a hand and massaged his temples with the other. The bags under his eyes felt heavier from a yet another long night of researching. The kind of tired that a sip of coffee wouldn't fix.

“Long night?” Adeline asked as she set her plate down on the other side of the table. She handed a small plate of scrambled eggs to a small semi-translucent creature. It eyed the mush before looking up at the blonde.

“Cheese?” It asked in the voice of a small child. 

Adeline smiled and nodded. “Yes, Shifty. I put cheese in your eggs. Just the way you like it.”

Shifty squealed happily before picking up a spoon to eat. Stanford couldn’t help but give a tired smile at the exchange. It still perplexed him how quickly his assistant had taken to acting as a mother figure to the infantile creature. It had surprised him even more that Shifty had taken to her just as quickly. Of course, it was only simple nature that the young shapeshifter would imprint on him and Addi. They were the first things the little being had seen when he hatched. Still, Ford couldn’t help but feel joy when thinking of Shifty as his.

“Stanford?” Ford blinked, suddenly brought back to reality. Addi was looking at him curiously from across the table. He rubbed his eyes under the glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose. Must be more tired than he thought.

“Sorry... Guess it WAS a long night...,” he replied as he picked at his eggs and bacon. “Have you read the paper yet?” He passed the paper over to her as he finally started to shovel eggs into his mouth. 

“Another one? Is this what’s been keeping you up all night?” She examined the front page of the paper with a nervous look on her face. “I’m guessing if you’re getting concerned, then there’s a chance it’s something in... our field of study...”

Stanford nodded solemnly. He’d been monitoring the situation from a distance since it began. He didn’t like the thought of it being an anomaly taking these people, but now he couldn’t simply ignore it. Fiddleford, Ford’s old college buddy, had moved into the house recently to assist him and Addi with the Portal project. The man had kept Ford company while he was spouting off his theories about what this strange suspect may be. But the two men couldn’t reach any kind of conclusion. Another night of possible portal work wasted on trivial theories. 

The scientist looked up just in time to see Fiddleford walk in, grab a cup of coffee and piece of toast before grabbing the phone. He dialed in a number and dragged the receiver into the other room, an act that became a morning ritual for the young mechanic. Ford rolled his eyes as he heard the man chatting gleefully with his wife. He decided to ignore it as he heard Adeline snicker at his obvious act of annoyance. 

“Any ideas what could be causing the disappearances?” 

“Several... But none of them really make sense. The gnomes could be responsible, but they normally return rejected brides for them. Not to mention their queen is still alive. Then Fiddleford suggested the manotaurs but those jock heads aren’t anywhere intelligent enough to pull that off...”

“What about the island head monster? They’ve been disappearing around there,” Addi suggested while wiping Shifty’s snout. Ford couldn’t help but smile a little more.

“I thought that also, but if it were that there would be some evidence left behind. It doesn’t exactly have hands to pick up what’s left. Plus... I don’t believe it’s wife would be too pleased with it only taking women...,” Ford laughed at the thought of the island head getting yelled at. “But you’re right about one thing, Addi. They’re disappearing in that area. So there’s a chance whatever is taking them is either a resident of that area of the woods or even the lake...”

Adeline picked at her plate a bit timidly. “I don’t want whatever this thing is taking anyone else. I knew one of those girls. If you think it’s something up our alley then we need to do something about it.”

Ford raised an eyebrow. “‘We’? You mean Fiddleford and I. If this thing is taking only women, you don’t need to be out there with us. I don’t want to see your face on the front page saying you’re missing as well. It will be best if you stay here where it’s safe.”

He saw a frustrated look grow on his assistant’s face. She didn’t enjoy being left out things such as this. Adeline balled up her fist, causing her knuckles to go white. Ford was almost afraid she’d punch him but her hand relaxed before the thought became more alarming. 

“You need me to go. There isn’t much of a choice with that,” Addi said matter of factly. Stanford frowned, not liking the woman’s lack of self preservation. He was trying to keep her safe and she was insisting on going. How reckless. Ford got out of his seat to take his dishes to the sink.

“I said no, Adeline. That’s final. Fiddleford and I are capable of handling this creature without your assistance.”

“How are you going to get this thing to come out and approach you?”

Stanford stopped dead in his tracks. He hadn’t thought of how they’d be able to get this mystery monster to show itself, let alone capture it. They still didn’t know what it was or what it’s weaknesses were. He and Fiddleford would be going in blind. If it were just the two men, it’d have no incentive to come out of hiding. It could stay in the shadows and continue it’s business once they left. But if Addi were there...

“No,” Ford firmly said as he all but threw his dishes into the sink. Addi rose from her chair and walked up to the man in a huff.

“You need me to go! You know it and you’re just being too stubborn to admit it!”

“We don’t know anything about this anomaly! I’m not going to use you as bait just to get this thing to come out!”

“Then what are you gonna do?! Dress Fiddleford in drag and hope for the best?!”

The mechanic popped his head through the doorway.

“Uh... Dress me in what fer what, now?”

“Stay out of this, Fidds!,” the two yelled at the man in unison. Fiddleford jumped a bit before returning to his call in the other room. Ford directed his attention back to Addi.

“You aren’t coming with us. That’s my final word on the matter.”

“Or I could just go out and investigate on my own, without any kind of back up. Because, you know, I’m not a child and I can do whatever I wish to do in my spare time,” Adeline crossed her arms, satisfied with her retort.

Stanford opened his mouth to say something but stopped short when he couldn’t find the words to say. She was right. Even though he was her superior, he couldn’t stop her from going out on her own. And then she’d be even more vulnerable. Sure, Adeline could defend herself much better than he or Fiddleford could, but she’d be alone. They didn’t even know if this creature was a singular entity. She’d be taken and Ford would be no closer to finding the culprit. And these women still haven’t been found... The chances of him finding this monster before it was too late for his assistant would be slim to none... 

Ford let out a defeated sigh. He wasn’t looking directly at her but he could just sense Addi’s smug grin spread on her face. He hated it when she did that. 

“Fine. You may accompany us in our investigation tonight. But you must stay close by. I don’t want to lose our chance to catch this thing... or you... I-I mean, if something were to happen to you... well... Shifty would have all kinds of fits and he’d become upset... A-and personally, I’d also become rather upset... So just stay close. Please,” Ford felt his face grow warm at what he said. He didn’t particularly enjoy showing his more emotional side, but he felt this was a good time to. Perhaps if his assistant knew how much was on the line, she’d be more careful while in the field. 

Adeline gave the man a soft smile. “Thank you, Stanford. I’ll be sure to be extra careful while we’re out.” Stanford returned the gesture as Addi took Shifty into the other room for a bath. 

Fiddleford finally returned the phone to the receiver and sat with his old roommate at the table, a mischievous smile on his face. Stanford frowned and looked away. 

“So... How’d it go?” Fidds pulled out a cubix cube from his pocket and started to rotate the sides. Ford made a mental note to try and mess up that toy more than usual later.   
“She’s coming with us,” Ford said matter of factly, as if he didn’t lose an argument but simply made the decision on his own. The look on the mechanic told him he wasn’t fooled for a second.

“Push over. I knew you’d cave into what she wanted to do. Just can’t say “no” to Adeline Marks,” a smirk grew on the man’s face as he replied. 

“I told her “no”! She’s the one that made the argument that she’d go out on her own if we wouldn’t allow her to accompany us. I’d rather she stay among friends that can protect her than go out alone. And we have no way to convince this thing to reveal itself other than having her around... Which she suggested and I didn’t agree with! You cannot say that I didn’t try and put my foot down.”

“And then she took that foot and threw you on your back side,” Fiddleford snorted.

Ford could feel his face grow warmer. He couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or anger. The man picked up a dish rag and threw it at Fidds’ face in response. Fidds only laughed harder before removing the clothe. 

“You are making it way too obvious that you like her, Stanford.”

“Hey!” Ford pointed at the man. “That is extremely false and you know it.”

“Oh come on! I’ve only been here a couple of months and even I can see you like her.”

“I do not!”

Fiddleford started mimicking Ford’s voice. “Oh! Uh- Don’t come on this investigation, Addi! Even though you’ve gone on every single other one before this for the last three years! I don’t want you to risk your life with this one monster that takes ladies! Because I love you! But I can’t say no to you for long! Okay, you can come! Because I love you so much!” Fidds began to make smooching noises to Ford’s chagrin. Ford pushed him gently, knocking him and his chair over to the floor. “OW! The samheck was that for?!”

“For being ridiculous. Things aren’t like that between Adeline and me. It’s strictly professional.”

“Uh huh, sure. That’s why you two spend almost every waking hour together and are playing house with a shapeshifter monster baby.”

“Hey, he isn’t a monster. He’s much more refined and he’s learning at an above average reading level.” 

“Okay, fine. You’re still playing house with Adeline. Just ask her out or something. The worst she can say is “No”,” Fiddleford picked his chair back up and rejoined Ford at the table. 

Ford went somber for a moment before responding. “There’s actually several things that can be said that would be worse. I remember when I was a boy and one of my classmates screamed when I tried to hold her hand.”

Fiddleford winced at his friend’s recollection. “Well, how many times has Addi held your hand?”

“Several...”  
“Then I doubt that’s going to be an issue. And you guys handle stranger things on a regular basis. I don’t think your hands are a deal breaker.”

Stanford’s brows furrowed before he shook his head. “Our relationship is strictly professional, Fiddleford. Besides, if I did want to try and progress that relationship, which I don’t, Adeline could have anyone she’d want. Why would she want to waste her time with someone like me?”

“She could, I guess,” Fidds shrugged. “But she hasn’t. Just sayin’, she’d rather spend her time with a dork like you. And I’ve seen her get asked out. She says she’s too busy with work to go on dates.” Fiddleford smiled and nudged his friend’s shoulder. “She liiiiiiiiiikes you.”

Ford blushed and knocked a giggling Fiddleford over again.

several hours later -

Ford waited at the front door impatiently looking at his watch while tapping his foot. He had instructed his assistants to be ready to go at seven pm sharp. Adeline had expressed her excitement at this particular field trip so he was surprised she was late. Fiddleford not so much. The man normally called to tell his son goodnight around this time. It was probably taking longer than usual...again. Stanford rolled his eyes and jotted down a few thoughts into his research journal as he waited. He didn’t get very far when Addi came prancing down the stairs.

“Okay! I am ready to go. Even have the crossbow loaded and ready just in case,” Addi chirped happily. The smile on her face was almost contagious to Ford. He quickly cleared his throat and put away his notes. 

“Shifty asleep?”

“Yep and Multibear will be over in a little bit to keep an eye on him. But he sleeps like a rock so he shouldn’t be any trouble. We’ll probably be back long before Shifty wakes up,” Addi stood proudly with her choice of babysitter. Ford had been reluctant at first with having the mutated bear in his house but Multibear had proven to be the best choice to babysit Shifty. The most he did was eat all their meat and read Addi’s romance novels. The animal was surprisingly civil. 

“Good. That only leaves Fiddlefo-.” Stanford was suddenly interrupted by a loud moan coming from down the hall. He looked over at Addi before going towards the source of the sound. 

Ford approached his friend’s door and knocked. Another moan escaped from the other side.

“Fiddleford? You alright?” Stanford slowly opened the door to a large lump in Fiddleford’s bed. He rolled his eyes and approached his friend. “Fiddleford, what are you doing? Get out of bed and get ready to go.”

Fiddleford let out another moan and receded farther under his covers. “I can’t go... I’m sick...,” the man choked out in a rather pathetic tone. “Go on without me... You and Addi can handle whatever’s out there on your own... Together... Alone at night...”

“If this is your idea of a joke, you aren’t funny. You are just fine. Quit being so dramatic. Get up,” Ford said as he nudged his friend. Fiddleford didn’t budge. 

“Just go without me, Stanford. Trust me on this. You’ll thank me later.” A mischievous smirk crossed his face.

“Fiddleford, this wouldn’t be any different than a normal field study,” Ford pointed out. It didn’t wipe away Fidds’ expression.

“True, but the stakes are much higher. And if something does happen, you’ll be her knight in shining armor. Come ooooooooon, Stanford. Just have some alone time with her. Ask her out for a drink or something to celebrate after you catch this thing. Take a chance on this,” Fidds pleaded as Addi finally walked into the door frame. 

“Everything okay?” 

“Oh, I’m sorry...,” Fiddleford coughed in response. “Looks like I came down with something. Guess you two’ll just have to rough it on your own...” Ford glared at his old roommate as he feigned his illness. A look of concern grew on the woman’s face as she approached them.

“Oh no! Is there anything you need? We can postpone this until you feel better.”

“Naw, that isn’t necessary, Addi. I’ll be fine. You two just keep an eye on each other while y’all are out.”

“Well... I’ll still bring you back some ginger ale to help you feel better.”

Ford rolled his eyes and decided to play along with Fiddleford’s charade. “No, I don’t think he’ll need any of that. Don’t want to upset his stomach, after all.” Stanford patted Fidds’ head harder than necessary, making the man wince on contact. “Poor hillbilly.”

Adeline smiled calmly and let out a sigh. “Alright. I’ll tell Multibear what’s going on when he gets here, then. He should be able to help you out if you need him to, Fiddleford.”

“Thank you, Addi. I’m feelin’ better already.” Adeline left shortly after, allowing Fiddleford to drop the ruse finally. He relaxed into his comforter as Ford continued glaring at him. He didn’t seem to mind the scientist’s scowl. “What?” 

“You’re the biggest drama queen I’ve ever met. And that’s saying something,” Ford responded, frowning slightly. Of course, this statement was false. 

He thought of all the times his twin brother, Stanley, would feign sick to try and skip school or avoid interacting with unwanted relatives. Each attempt more elaborate than the last. They rarely worked with their Ma. She could see through Stan’s antics as if she were truly psychic. It’d always make Ford laugh when Stan got caught. Those were better times. He wondered what Stan was doing now...

Ford shook his head quickly to get rid of the thought. He didn’t need to cloud his mind with thoughts of the past. He had made his peace with what happened a long time ago. Now all he had was the future and present where his friend was trying to play matchmaker with the wrong couple. 

“You’ll thank me, I swear it. Just go on out and have a good time. Finally ask her out. It won’t kill ya,” Fiddleford laughed softly as Ford rolled his eyes. “Get outta here.”

Stanford let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. We’ll leave you here. Have fun playing sick,” he said as he picked himself off the bed.

“Have fun on your date,” Fidds smirked as he watched Ford vacate the room. 

Addi waited patiently by the door for Ford as he trudged towards the entrance of his home. He took a deep breath and opened the door for the two of them. “Please remember to stay close by. And call for help if you need it,” he said as she walked by him into the night air. 

She smiled at him and patted his cheek. Ford didn’t know if she could see him blush in the dark. “I’ll be careful. I promised, didn’t I?” 

He returned the gesture before heading towards the woods with Adeline on his heels.


	2. Song in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ford and Addi trudge through the darkness until they encounter a stranger named Finn Song. But there’s something off about this person

Stanford inspected his map for what felt like the hundredth time. He and Adeline had been hiking around the woods in the dark for a few hours. He checked his watch. The hands showed it to almost be midnight. And nothing has shown itself except for a few stray gnomes. Ford let out a groan and returned the map to his bag. 

“Everything okay up there?” Addi asked, the crinkling of leafs accompanying her every step behind the man. She had done as she was asked, remaining close by Ford’s side while they trekked through the forest. She adjusted her backpack again.

“It’s fine. Just getting a little frustrated...,” Ford responded while letting out another groan. “We’ve been at this for hours and nothing... What if this thing doesn’t even show up?”

“Well... Maybe I should lead. It may see you first and decide coming out isn’t worth it. If it see’s me and thinks I’m alone, it’s more likely to try something.” 

Ford immediately shook his head at the notion. He wasn’t about to let this thing have any chance of taking her. It was already bad enough that they were one short because Fiddleford decided they needed some “alone time”. Ford made a mental note to be sure to give Fidds extra paperwork when they returned. “No. Even if that would be a more likely way of smoking out this creature, we aren’t going to risk it. I’m not chancing your safety just for this case.”

He turned to give Adeline a firm look to show he was serious only to be met with her soft smile and caring gaze. 

“Thank you, Stanford. It means a lot that you care so much,” Addi said keeping that smile on her face. “I know you’re just looking out for me, but I am able to take care of myself. As I may recall, I taught you few lessons on defending yourself from weirdos too.” She giggled at recalling their little sparring match a few weeks ago. It ended with Ford on his back with the breath knocked out of him. Fiddleford cracking up to the side. Ford’s face flushed red at the memory. He had underestimated his friend’s abilities in self defense and that resulted in a bruised back and ego. He heard her laugh a little louder.

“After all of this is over and done with I want a rematch,” he declared as she continued laughing. 

“Great! I’d be happy to kick your butt again,” Addi gladly smirked at her boss. Stanford rolled his eyes and returned his gaze to his front in time to trip over an exposed root. His hands were unable to catch him before he hit the dirt, causing his bag and its’ contents to sprawl onto the ground. “Oh my gosh! Are you alright?” The woman was at his side in a heartbeat.

Ford began to pick himself. He reached up to his face in order to adjust his glasses but found nothing. He felt himself panic until he saw the familiar blur of his glasses in Addi’s hand being offered to him. Ford let out a gentle sigh of relief. 

“Thank you...,” he said as he started to take the spectacles from her. Addi moved them out of his reach last second. “Hey!”

“Hold on, there’s some dirt on them.” She pulled out a handkerchief and cleaned the lenses expertly. Ford could only squint until she returned them to their rightful place on the brim of his nose. “There we go. Now you’re back to your nerdy self.” She helped him back to his feet and brushed the remaining dirt off his shoulders. 

“Thank you,” Ford said as he cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. “I appreciate the help but you don’t need to be such a mother hen...”

Adeline removed her hands after the last speck was gone. “Oh, you know you’d be lost without me. Someone’s gotta keep you from getting yourself killed out here.” 

Ford frowned gently. “I believe the same can be said for you, Ms. Marks.” 

That only made her laugh softly as she stepped around him to lead the way. He gently stopped her and resumed his post at the head. Ford smiled at he saw Addi roll her eyes through his peripherals. 

Silence fell on them both for an awkward period of time. Fiddleford’s words kept echoing in Ford’s mind in repetition.

_“Finally ask her out. It won’t kill ya.”_

_“Yeah, it won’t kill me,”_ Ford thought to himself. _“It’ll just make things awkward until the inevitable day Adeline decides she no longer wants to work with us. It’s not as though she wouldn’t be able to find other lines of scientific work easily...”_

Ford let out a gentle sigh as he stared up into the canopy. Stars shined like diamonds through the dark openings in the trees. He would have never seen them so clearly back at his childhood home. 

“Stars sure are beautiful tonight..,” he said absentmindedly. 

“They’re beautiful.”

“Probably the best thing about moving out here is that we can see the stars so clearly. No city smog to block our view.”

“Yeah. It’s amazing.” 

He could hear the smile in her voice and couldn’t help his own. 

Another thirty minutes ticked by at a snail’s pace. Ford continued arguing with himself on the pros and cons of asking out a colleague. He almost tripped a few more times. 

_“Finally ask her out,”_ Fidds’ words rang again louder than before. 

Would it really be so bad if they went just went out for coffee? Or even dinner? They didn’t have to continue if it went poorly. They could just remain friends. He could still keep her in his life even if she refused his affection.

Ford took a deep breath.

“Adeline? I know this is probably impractical given the current situation but... would you by chance care to accompany me to Greasy’s for coffee sometime? I mean, after all of this is over with, of course... It’s nothing major or anything, I just thought it’d be nice to get away from the workplace for a little while... Just the two of us..,” he finally stammered out. He could feel his heart thumping in the back of his head. He’d never been good when it came to romance. That award went to his brother. Ford waited anxiously for Adeline’s response.

Silence...

With each passing second of nothing Stanford’s heart seemed to drop farther and farther. He shouldn’t have asked. This was a stupid idea. It would have been better if he kept his thoughts to himself. Fiddleford was wrong. The worst she could do wasn’t saying “no”. It was saying nothing at all.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said any of that. We don’t have to do anything. Just forget it...”

Still silence...

Ford stopped in his tracks and turned towards his assistant.

“Please say something, Adeline!”

Ford’s face went from red to pale white as he slowly realized she was no longer behind him. He scanned the trees feverishly, hoping that she had simply fallen behind. He started retracing his steps.

“Addi?! Addi, where are you?!” He felt the panic start to sink further in as he quickened his pace. “Adeline!” 

Minutes felt like years as he launched into a sprint. 

_“How could I have been so stupid! I should have been paying more attention! I shouldn’t have been focusing on something trivial! I should have never allowed her to come out here where she was vulnerable! What if I don’t find her?! What if this thing’s already killed her?! What if-”_

His thoughts were cut off when he finally found her standing in a clearing they had passed a while ago. Ford couldn’t help the loud sigh of relief that escaped him. 

“Oh thank goodness... I thought something had happened to you...,” he said, panting from his sudden run. He approached her slowly. She didn’t seem to pay him any mind as she continued to stare blankly into the trees. It was like she couldn’t even hear him. “Addi?” Ford placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to let out a small gasp as he gained her full attention again. 

“Stanford? Everything alright?” She blinked at him as if she just woke up from a trance. Ford could have sworn he saw the slightest hint of sea-foam green vacating her irises. He shook his head gently. Must be a trick of the light...

“Yeah, everything’s alight. You just fell behind and I got worried. I thought I lost you...,” Ford reassured her. She gave him a shocked look as she realized what had happened.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I must have just went into a daze when I heard the singing!”

“Singing? What singing?” Ford listened intently with a confused look on his face. He heard nothing but a few crickets chirping nearby. 

“You don’t hear the singing? It’s so good. How can you not hear it?” Addi asked as she started making her way off their path. “You must have hit your head when you fell earlier.”

Ford cleared out his ear with one of his fingers and listened again. Still nothing. “Maybe. Although, I’m not sure a simple bump on the head would cause me to be unable to hear something so specific.” 

Adeline took his hand gently and started to lead him farther into the woods. “That’s alright. Let’s find out where it’s coming from.”

“W-wait! We’re still looking for this other thing.” Stanford stumbled behind Addi as she kept going. She wasn’t letting up at all. 

“It’s okay, we can come back tomorrow for it. I don’t think it’s going anywhere,” Addi replied anxiously. Ford decided to go ahead and follow his friend. The last time she seemed so excited was when Shifty hatched from his egg. The thought made him smile. 

Soon they broke through the trees to Gravity Falls Lake. Ford gave his assistant a confused glance. She continued towards the area without even giving him the time of day. He kept a firm hand around hers before she went a step further. Addi looked back at him with a curious look on her face.

“Addi, are you sure everything’s alright? You’re acting strangely. I mean... You’re just running off to something we don’t know anything about. I can’t even hear any-” Ford went silent when a distant melody reached his ears. He directed his attention towards the lake where the sound was coming from. 

Adeline gave him a victorious smirk. “See? I told you there was singing coming from here,” she said proudly. Stanford frowned in defeat. “Come on. Let’s figure out what’s making music and then we’ll head home, alright? Twenty minutes and we’re gone. Promise.”

“Fine. I’m just hoping this goes well...”

“Well that’s why I packed the crossbow, isn’t it? Come on,” she replied as she wriggled her hand out of Ford’s embrace. 

She bound towards the shore with her friend on her heels. Ford continued to survey the area. There were no sounds aside from the singing, like all signs of life decided to go elsewhere rather than stay for the music. Reminded him of the various reactions to Fiddleford’s banjo playing in college. He identified the voice as male, perhaps a tenor or baritone in range. The subtle sound of an instrument accompanied them. 

_“Great,”_ Ford thought. _“Some full of himself musician singing openly in the middle of the night. He’s no better than a howling cat.”_

Stanford rolled his eyes and relaxed finally. If what he believed were true, then there was no danger aside from a noise complaint. Although, “noise” wouldn’t be a proper term for this person’s singing. Now that he could hear the melody, it was quite beautiful. Perfect pitch that flowed smoothly in the night air. If this were just a big headed rising star, they had every right to be proud of that voice. But that still didn’t justify practicing at this hour. 

Adeline came to a stop as her shoes hit the sand. The music had dissipated into nothingness, leaving the woman confused as she searched for its’ source. 

“Hello? Is anyone out here? My friend and I heard you singing and we were wondering who was making such a lovely sound? You don’t have to be shy. Please come out,” Adeline pleaded gently as she scoped the area for any movement. It continued to only be the two of them as minutes ticked by.

The moon reflected on the lake beautifully with only small soft ripples interrupting it, most likely from whatever random creatures inhabited it. Ford looked at his assistant as she left footprints around her. Her hair glowed a soft white gold. He felt his face grow warmer. She looked beautiful. The setting was perfect.

_“Finally ask her out. It won’t kill ya!”_

Fiddleford’s words continued to echo in his mind. Ford took a deep breath. At least he had a second chance to ask this, the first having been less than subpar. He approached her as calmly as he could possibly muster. Ford could feel his knees quake under him, fearing they’d give out completely. He stood up and puffed out his chest like an owl, trying to gain what little courage he had left. 

“A-Addi?” His voice sounded winded and weak. Not a good start.

“Yes, Stanford?,” she asked, finally turning to face him. Her eyes glittered in the light like deep sapphires. That did little to help Ford’s current predicament.

“I-I was wanting to ask you a question..,” he managed to stammer out. So far so good.

“What is it?” She closed the distance between them, only being a few inches away. Ford felt his courage wavering as he took another breath. 

“W-would you like to-”

“Hello?”

Ford’s speech and heart stopped mid-sentence when the mysterious voice made its’ debut. He and Adeline turned to face where it had originated, finding a man leaning on the edge of the pier. He had olive skin and bright green eyes under a mess of shoulder length black hair. He seemed to be oriental in origin. He reminded Ford of the Hawaiian natives from various pictures he received from Fidds during his honeymoon. He even had what appeared to be a ukulele strapped to his back. Ford felt himself frown slightly.

“Oh! I’m sorry. It appears I interrupted something important. Ignore me. Pretend I wasn’t here,” the man said in realization. His voice was melodic and entrancing. Even Ford had a hard time not wanting him to continue speaking.

Addi left Ford’s side and began towards the dock. “No no no! It was nothing important. Just us chatting. Are you the person that’s been singing out here? We heard it in the woods and just had to find where it was coming from. It’s lovely,” she said hastily. She sat beside the stranger, giving him a soft smile. He returned the gesture. Ford soon joined them on the deck, keeping a weary eye on this new figure.

The man laughed softly and nodded. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. My name is Finn. Finn Song.” He gently took Addi’s hand and shook it. Ford could have sworn he could see a faint pink on her cheeks.

“I’m Adeline Marks. Just about everyone calls me “Addi”. This is my friend Stanford Pines.”

“Huh, is it alright if I call you “Ford”?” he asked as he firmly shook Ford’s six-fingered hand. It was almost painful as Ford tried to match the grip. The being could tell it made him uncomfortable as he exposed a smirk. Ford frowned and refused to release his hand even as his fingers started to feel numb.

“You may call me “Stanford”.”

“That’s fine too. Just thought it’d sound a little more casual,” he explained as he finally let go of the handshake. Ford opened and closed his hand as he allowed the blood to reach his fingertips. Finn went back to ogling at Addi. 

“What exactly are you doing out on the lake at this hour?” Ford asked drawing the stranger’s attention from his assistant. Finn looked at him with a confused look, like Ford was missing an obvious answer. 

“It’s a bit difficult for me to go anywhere else given my situation,” he said as something motioned under the water behind him. Soon, Ford and Addi stared wide-eyed as a large fish tail broke the water’s surface. Adeline let out a soft gasp in surprise.

“Holy...,” Ford said softly in amazement. The scales shimmered a pale green in the moonlight. Of all things to find in Gravity Falls Lake, the last thing he expected was a-

“Oh my gosh! You’re a mermaid!” Adeline exclaimed happily. 

“Well, “merman”, technically...,” Ford corrected his assistant after shaking off the initial shock. 

Finn laughed heartily at the two scientists. “You two aren’t used to people like me, are you?”

“We actually do our primary research on the anomalies that reside in this town. We were on a field study before found you. You aren’t the strangest thing we’ve come across,” Ford said matter of factly. Although they’ve never encountered a merperson, Stanford wasn’t very impressed by the creature before him. He had always imagined something more mythical and majestic like how fairytales would describe. Or that the half monkey mermaid was actually real. Not some stereotypical pretty boy flirting with his friend. 

“No wonder you seem so calm and friendly towards me. I thought I’d scare you if I showed myself,” Finn replied. But it wasn’t to Ford. Rather, his full attention was back on Adeline. 

“Well, it helps to have all the experiences that I’ve had with Stanford. But why anyone would be afraid of you is beyond me. You’re so sweet,” Addi said as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Can you really play the ukulele? I’ve always wanted to learn how to play.”

“Sure can.” Finn pulled his ukulele in front of him, plucking the strings to create a small tune. “If you’d like, I can teach you how to play.” 

Addi smiled brightly at the notion. “I’d love to. I’ll get one tomorrow and we can start lessons as soon as possible.”

“U-uh, if there’s time. Remember? Our “project”? And Shifty? We have a lot of stuff to do back home,” Ford interjected. Addi seemed to hardly be paying attention to what he had to say, still looking down at the merman. Ford rested his hand on her shoulder and nudged her gently. “Addi?”

“H-huh? Oh, right. If there’s time. We’ve been pretty busy lately. And of course there’s taking care of Shifty along with this goober. I swear, you guys would be lost if I weren’t around,” she said with a small smile across her face. Ford returned the expression, happy to see his friend making sense again. 

“Of course. It’s no big deal. Just wanting to lend a helping hand after all the wonderful praise you had for my singing. I don’t get much company out here. I’d be nice to finally have some.” Finn says with a soft sadness in his voice, obviously trying to gain Adeline’s sympathy. 

“We’ll have to see. Maybe we can just come by and ask you a few research questions tomorrow instead. I know it isn’t strictly hanging out but it’s something, right?” Addi gave him a promising grin, like she wasn’t wanting to disappoint a child asking for a toy. 

“We? Oh. The both of you. Wouldn’t it be more efficient if one of you stayed behind to work on your “project” and the other came here to interview me? You’d get more done, wouldn’t you?” Finn rested his arms on the deck, eyeing both the humans. 

“No. There have been a number of abductions lately and no one is coming out here on their own until they are resolved. I know you mean well, Finn, but that’s how it is,” Ford sternly said as he crossed his arms. “It’s a matter of everyone’s safety.”

Finn huffed in disappointment. “That’s fine. I can wait until this whole mess is cleared out. Don’t want to interrupt your important work, right?” He winked at Addi, making her laugh softly. Ford could feel his heart sink as he watched the two’s chemistry. Maybe it was nothing but he still wasn’t sure.

“I-it’s getting late... We should head back to the house before we worry the babysitter. You DID promise we’d only be here twenty minutes, after all, Addi.” Ford rose from his sitting position, taking Adeline’s hand as she asked for help up. 

“Right. And a promise is a promise. It was nice to meet you, Finn.” Adeline kneeled down to shake the merman’s hand once more. Instead, he took her hand and kissed it, causing a blush to spread over her face.

“It was a pleasure, Adeline Marks. Hopefully we’ll meet again soon,” he said as he released her hand and disappeared into the lake. 

Ford frowned and started making his way to the road. Hopefully the taxi service was still running at this hour. Addi followed close behind. 

“He seemed nice,” she said while nudging Ford’s arm. 

“I don’t know. He seems a little two-faced to me. I think he was just being nice to get something out of it.”

“Yeah, some friends. The only other thing in that lake besides him are fish and that island monster. And I doubt he’s very chatty. He’s probably lonely. Even you can understand that, Stanford.”

Ford looked over at her finally. He couldn’t deny how lonely it was to be out in a strange town alone. When the idea to hire an assistant was suggested by a professor at WCT, Ford had been reluctant at first. But now that he had Adeline around, he didn’t regret hiring her for a moment. She even had the opportunity to leave shortly after Shifty hatched. A nice research job with a space program. She turned it down to stay in Gravity Falls with them. Ford smiled softly at the woman next to him.

“Yes, I suppose it does get lonely out here. I’m glad I’m over that part of my stay here.” 

Adeline smiled at him as a taxi made it’s way down the road. “You’re an amazing friend, Stanford. Thanks for looking out for me.”

Ford looked down at his shoes. The taxi pulled up sharply, hitting a puddle at almost full speed, spraying the two of them with rain water. 

“GAW!! Watch where you’re going!” Adeline yelled at the driver while trying to wring out the muddy water out of her hair. Ford shook the excess water off his coat before offering it to his assistant. Addi smiled and gladly took it. “Thank you. That’s really sweet of you.” 

“Sweeter than Mr. Song back there?” Ford asked with a little smile.

“Of course, Stanford. Now let’s get home. I’m sure Fiddleford will find this new discovery interesting.” She pulled him into the vehicle with her. 

Ford gave the driver directions and they were soon on their way home. He couldn’t get the picture of Addi and Finn’s interaction out of his head. She seemed to really click with him. It put Ford on edge. There was something not quite right about this merman...

Addi seemed to tell something was on his mind and took his hand gently. The gesture surprised him. “Everything okay?”

“Hm? Oh, yes. Everything’s fine. Just have a lot on my mind. Have a lot to take suddenly,” Ford smiled. Her hand felt soft and warm in around his. He didn’t want to worry her. With everything going on, the last thing she needed was to worry about him more. Maybe it’d be better if he kept things as they were for now.

“Didn’t you want to ask me something earlier? Before we met Finn?” 

“...Um... No. It was nothing. I can always ask later...”

She nodded and got out of the car, letting go of his hand in the process. 

It felt colder than usual...


End file.
